Zahrah Imtiaz Reporting from Japanhttp://www.dailynews.lk/taxonomy/term/5318/all
enJapan to be Sri Lanka’s partner in development http://www.dailynews.lk/2017/04/13/local/113250/japan-be-sri-lanka%E2%80%99s-partner-development
<div class="field field-name-field-section field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/local" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Local</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author-byline field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/line/zahrah-imtiaz-reporting-japan" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Zahrah Imtiaz Reporting from Japan</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-articletags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/print-edition" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Print Edition</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>As Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe wound up his official tour to Japan yesterday, he walked away with Japanese Prime Minster, Shinzo Abe promising development assistance to Sri Lanka and in return Sri Lanka would ensure that her Ports, once developed would remain open to all.</p>
<p>Issuing a final joint statement at the Japanese Prime Minister’s office, the heads of state, said that in principle they agreed that the Indo-Pacific Oceans needed to be ‘free and open’, including their ports.</p>
<p>Wickremesinghe in his speeches earlier this week had also invited Japan to be part of the Trincomalee harbour development project along with India while also inviting Japanese private firms to bid for the new terminal at the Colombo Port- A move seen to balance present Chinese investments in the Ports of Colombo Hambantota.</p>
<p>On Wickremesinghe’s ninth visit to Japan, Abe said they “exchanged candid views on security, maritime cooperation, economy and economic cooperation”.</p>
<p>He explained that while the era of Indo-Pacific was being ushered in, “True regional prosperity could not come to being without the realization of a free and open Indo-pacific”.</p>
<p>“To make this happen it is indispensable for Sri Lanka to achieve Sustainable growth as a hub and develop ports that are open to all”, further stated Abe and added, “The Prime Minister and I were in complete agreement with such concepts”.</p>
<p>Thus Abe said Japan would aid Sri Lanka in developing ‘quality infrastructure’ and be a partner for sustainable growth in Sri Lanka.</p>
<p>Accordingly the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Japan, Dammika Ganganath Disanayake and Japanese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Kenichi Syganuma exchanged notes on: the loan for rural infrastructure development, loan for the further expansion of the Kalu Ganga water project and a grant aid for economic and social development.</p>
<p>Prime Minister Wickremesinghe reiterating Abe, said that as “island nations we must trade with everyone and that there should be a stable maritime order in the world”.</p>
<p>He further explained that like Abe, he too agreed on the freedom of navigation of the seas and that there should not be any ‘imbalances in the Indian Ocean’.</p>
<p>“Stability should be agreed to by all of us and free commerce and transparent economic cooperation is the basis of going forward and basis of friendship between two countries”.</p>
<p>“The stability of the regions depend on its economic prosperity and social development”, he added.</p>
<p>Wickremesinghe further reiterated that all the ports developed in Sri Lanka would only be used for commercial activities and not for any military purposes.</p>
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</script>Wed, 12 Apr 2017 12:20:50 +0000malinga113250 at http://www.dailynews.lkPM to woo Japanese investorshttp://www.dailynews.lk/2017/04/12/local/113179/pm-woo-japanese-investors
<div class="field field-name-field-section field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/local" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Local</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author-byline field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/line/zahrah-imtiaz-reporting-japan" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Zahrah Imtiaz Reporting from Japan</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="http://www.dailynews.lk/sites/default/files/news/2017/04/11/Ranil-03.jpg"><a href="http://www.dailynews.lk/sites/default/files/news/2017/04/11/Ranil-03.jpg" title="PM to woo Japanese investors" class="colorbox" data-colorbox-gallery="field_image_gallery-dL6Ekwvr8NQ" data-cbox-img-attrs="{&quot;title&quot;: &quot;&quot;, &quot;alt&quot;: &quot;&quot;}"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.dailynews.lk/sites/default/files/news/2017/04/11/Ranil-03.jpg" width="800" height="450" alt="" title="" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-articletags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/print-edition" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Print Edition</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>As Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe sets his focus to woo Japanese investors to Sri Lanka, he asked that Japan take on a more assertive role in developing the economic architecture of the Indian Ocean.</p>
<p>He added that the island nation be seen as a gateway between the Indo-Pacific Oceans; a logistics and trade hub for Japan to access the ‘rising middle class markets in Asia’.</p>
<p>Delivering the keynote address yesterday at the Business Forum organized by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) in Tokyo, the Prime Minister stressed that the rise of the new economic order was very much in Asia. “It is in East Asia, South Asia, Middle East and Africa that you will find the rising middle class and the biggest consumer markets,” said Premier Wickremesinghe.</p>
<p>In this context, he welcomed Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s ‘Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy’ which sought to “promote connectivity through free and open Indo- Pacific oceans via economic prosperity in the region, including Africa”.</p>
<p>The strategy which aims at building a network of security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region to stem the risk of China changing the regional order by force, also has economic benefits for such countries which have seen major Japanese funding in return. ASEAN countries in particular have received development assistance for infrastructure- and human-resources development with Japanese firms focusing their FDIs on ASEAN countries.</p>
<p>Similarly, Premier Wickremesinghe asked that Japan take a more central role in shaping South Asian regional economic development. “Japan has become more important now as America shows reluctance to be involved in economics of the region, especially with its withdrawal from the TPP,” said the Prime Minister.</p>
<p>Premier Wickremesinghe who is also a strong supporter of ‘freedom of navigation in the seas’ and an economically integrated region found common ground in the Japanese Strategy and chose to echo the Japanese Parliamentary Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Shunsuke Takei’s idea of “Indo-Pacific Ocean of World Trade’.</p>
<p>The question, he said, however, was the need for a “comprehensive plan of implementation for the Japanese proposal of two oceans.” This was especially important said, Premier Wickremesinghe in the light of other regional powers also having their own strategies for the region such as China’s ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative and India’s ‘Look East Policy’.</p>
<p>“Japan has shown its ability through its relation to America. The Japanese Prime Minister met US President Trump twice, determining America’s reaction to Asia though economic relations not on the table. But time is short, how can the Japanese government with other governments work out what the plan is and how connectivity is to be established on infrastructure, roads and institutions? The foundation of prosperity not only requires Japanese government intervention but also requires the Japanese private sector,” said the Prime Minister as he pushed for greater connectivity through investment and trade with Sri Lanka and the region.</p>
<p>“In the next 20-30 years, the region is expected to have an additional population of 250 million people and the Japanese private sector has to invest here otherwise someone else will,” he said.</p>
<p>In reference to Prime Minister Abe’s USD 110 billion to the Asian Development Bank for development of “quality infrastructure” in Asia in 2015, Premier Wickremesinghe called for ‘partnership of quality infrastructure’ in the Indian Ocean as intervention to develop infrastructure in the countries of the Indian Ocean region was necessary before businesses could tap into the rising middle class market.</p>
<p>He further explained that Sri Lanka was the best country for the Japanese private sector to focus on given its strategic location in the Indian Ocean and the access the country would provide through its various Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) to bigger markets.</p>
<p>“We want Japan to use Sri Lanka as a hub for trade. We expect to deepen our existing FTA with India through the Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement (ETCA), expect to sign a FTA with Singapore and another with China. We also hope to talk to Japan, Indonesia and other ASEAN countries with regard to FTAs,” explained the Prime Minister.</p>
<p>With Sri Lanka also poised to become a logistics hub, the Prime Minister invited Japanese investment in the Colombo and Trincomalee Ports.</p>
<p>“The new Terminal at Colombo will soon be open for investment. We invite Japanese companies for a joint venture. We also hope to further expand Colombo Port to the North up to 8—10 miles reaching Ja-Ela, making it the largest in the Indian Ocean. In addition, we have also invited Japan to partner with India to develop the Trincomalee harbor,” he said and added,</p>
<p>“The two Ocean policies are best when Japan, India and Sri Lanka are working together.”</p>
<p>The Prime Minister also announced that the government would offer a Separate Desk for Japanese Investors, a new set of tax incentives which will have generous depreciation and allow foreign investors to take out their profits out of Sri Lanka without paying any additional tax, a single window for investment, taskforce for FDIs and exports, taskforce on tourism and open up the economy further to encourage more investment into the country.</p>
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Tue, 11 Apr 2017 17:27:07 +0000pushpika113179 at http://www.dailynews.lkH’tota won’t be a ‘Military Port’: PMhttp://www.dailynews.lk/2017/04/12/local/113177/h%E2%80%99tota-won%E2%80%99t-be-%E2%80%98military-port%E2%80%99-pm
<div class="field field-name-field-section field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/local" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Local</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author-byline field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/line/zahrah-imtiaz-reporting-japan" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Zahrah Imtiaz Reporting from Japan</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="http://www.dailynews.lk/sites/default/files/news/2017/04/11/z_p01-H%E2%80%99tota.jpg"><a href="http://www.dailynews.lk/sites/default/files/news/2017/04/11/z_p01-H%E2%80%99tota.jpg" title="H’tota won’t be a ‘Military Port’: PM" class="colorbox" data-colorbox-gallery="field_image_gallery-dL6Ekwvr8NQ" data-cbox-img-attrs="{&quot;title&quot;: &quot;&quot;, &quot;alt&quot;: &quot;&quot;}"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.dailynews.lk/sites/default/files/news/2017/04/11/z_p01-H%E2%80%99tota.jpg" width="800" height="450" alt="" title="" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-articletags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/print-edition" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Print Edition</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe stressed that the Hambantota Port would not be a ‘Military Port’ with security being strictly handled by the Sri Lanka Navy and law enforcement agencies. The Prime Minister was speaking at a business forum organized by the Japan External Trade Organization in Tokyo, yesterday.</p>
<p>As Chinese interest in the Port continue to be viewed with suspicion, especially with regard to its military interests, the Premier said, “The Agreement on the joint venture between the Chinese company and the Sri Lankan Ports Authority precludes any foreign country from using the harbour for military purposes”.</p>
<p>“It is only a commercial operation and we do not want any of Sri Lanka’s harbours to be used for military purposes other than that of the Sri Lanka Navy,” he added. The Prime Minister explained that law and order at the Port would be handled by the Police, Customs and Immigration of the Sri Lankan government and all internal port security would need to hire Sri Lankan staff.</p>
<p>Premier Wickremesinghe reassured his Japanese audience that any violation of conditions in the agreement would mean that the Sri Lankan government could take over the Port without payment of compensation.</p>
<p>“Any warship can come into the Port, provided the Government of Sri Lanka agrees to it,” said the Prime Minister as he sought to promote an equal playing field for all.</p>
<p>In March this year, the US Pacific Fleet’s transport ship USNS Fall River visited Hambantota on a Pacific Partnership goodwill mission. During its 12-day stay, it held a joint exercise with the navies of Sri Lanka, Japan and Australia. The visit was seen as a show of strength against Chinese expansion in the region along with allies such as Japan who is struggling to ensure that Chinese aggression in South China Sea does not extend to the Indian Ocean. </p>
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Tue, 11 Apr 2017 17:23:42 +0000pushpika113177 at http://www.dailynews.lk